Lloyd’s Register Foundation, an independent global charity that supports research, innovation and education, and the World Economic Forum, an international organization for public-private cooperation, have partnered to accelerate the transition to nature and people-positive ports.
As disclosed, the partnership includes a three-year project starting in March 2025, aimed at securing commitments from major global ports and sharing verifiable strategies that benefit people and nature. In parallel, efforts will, reportedly, raise awareness about building new ports in emerging markets, to ensure new investments incorporate nature-positive criteria.
It is understood that the parties will focus on key strategies to accelerate the sector’s transition to nature-positive while adopting practices that enhance the safety of people and goods, improving working conditions and ensuring social prosperity. Additional focus will be placed on methods to protect nature in coastal and marine ecosystems near ports.
Alfredo Giron, Head of Ocean, World Economic Forum, said: “Ports play a significant role in driving growth for emerging economies. As demand for port infrastructure increases, we need innovative practices and engineering methods to secure a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable sector. To do this it’s essential that the nature-positive transition for ports also provides benefits for people.”
Thomas Thune Andersen, Chairman, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, commented: “We need to ensure the ports we adapt and create don’t just deliver against economic and social targets, but actively protect, restore and enhance nature. Our new long term, strategic partnership with the World Economic Forum will couple better practices for nature with safer operations around ports, leading to improved working conditions, healthier ecosystems and access to new capital for nature and people positive approaches.”
To note, ports are said to be vital to international and countries’ employment and economic growth. In addition to providing critical infrastructure for regional and global trade, ports accommodate some of the world’s largest industrial zones, thus some of the heaviest CO2 emitters.
Jörgen Sandström, Head, Transforming Industrial Ecosystems, World Economic Forum, claimed: “Addressing the current and projected environmental impact of ports and industrial areas in the context of the energy transition is imperative. By fostering collaboration and unlocking innovation, we aim to ensure a fair transition and reduce CO2e emissions, drive economic growth and preserve natural ecosystems.”
According to the organizations, the transformations needed in port-based industrial zones for clean energy solutions present an opportunity for a holistic regeneration strategy. They highlighted: “Sensitive planning methods for the land and sea use in port areas can minimize negative impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems, benefiting both the natural ecosystem and local community.”
The partners also pointed out that implementing nature-positive strategies can bring business opportunities for ports around the world. The World Economic Forum’s report ‘Nature-Positive: The Role of Ports’ found that prioritizing nature-positive strategies, including decarbonization, could unlock over $54 billion in cost savings and revenue by 2030 for businesses operating across the port sector’s value chain.
It is worth mentioning that, in late 2024, the multi-stakeholder initiative Resilience4Ports launched the first sectoral, action-based commitment to enhance and accelerate the resilience of ports from the effects of climate change.
The pledge is said to be the first commitment of that kind from global port actors to address the resilience of infrastructure, operations and activities considering climate change, asking industry partners to undertake four key actions: understand and manage climate risks, integrate climate resilience into business models and processes, foster community focuses in business continuity and share knowledge and experiences.